Compact, inexpensive work benches, of which the well-known WORKMATE.TM. work bench is perhaps the best example, have become quite popular with home handymen and with some tradesmen. The WORKMATE.TM. work bench can quickly be manipulated from its collapsed storage position into its operating position for use in a wide variety of situations including support of work pieces for sawing, drilling, hammering, painting, etc. The popularity of the WORKMATE.TM. work bench has spawned a number of devices which are designed for use with the WORKMATE.TM. work bench in order to accomodate it to specific tasks. See for example U.S. Pat. No. 4,291,869 issued Sept. 29, 1981 for an invention of Ronald P. Hickman which illustrates how a metal-worker's vice, a saw-table and a drill may be adapted for use with a work bench of the WORKMATE.TM. type.
Problems have been encountered in attempts to use WORKMATE.TM. type work benches with large work pieces such as cabinet doors. The conventional WORKMATE.TM. work bench has a relatively small working surface area in comparison to the surface area of a typical cabinet door. Accordingly, conventional WORKMATE.TM. type work benches do not provide adequate support for large work pieces such as cabinet doors. U.S. Pat. No. 4,328,846 issued 11 May, 1982 for an invention of Palmer C. Hanson entitled "Extension Assembly for a Work Bench" describes and illustrates one form of work bench work surface extension assembly which is specifically adapted for use with WORKMATE.TM. type work benches. Hanson's apparatus incorporates a pair of vertical upright members which are pivotally connected to horizontal extension members. These however are considered to be relatively cumbersome, and may not afford firm support to the work piece in all situations.
The present invention provides a compact apparatus for extending the work surface and the clamp holding width of a conventional WORKMATE.TM. type work bench to provide improved support for large work pieces.